Tennessee failing to protect vulnerable

Soon, pre-existing conditions may disqualify a member of your family from getting health care. Again! Since 2014, insurance companies haven’t been able to deny coverage due to a prior medical condition.

But with Gov. Haslam’s blessing, the Tennessee attorney general has partnered with other Republican attorneys general and the Trump administration to take away this protection.

Some examples may include pregnancy, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, migraine, cancer and many others.

Individuals with these conditions would at least get charged a higher premium but could also have benefits carved out or be denied coverage altogether.

Currently, about one in five Tennessee adults (ages 18-64) are without health insurance.

And about one in three has a pre-existing health condition.

Tennessee already leads the nation in bankruptcies, and most are due to medical bills.

If more Tennesseans are denied coverage, the demand for Medicare for All will get even stronger. Fortunately, such an arrangement will save most taxpayers money compared to the current system. Although taxes will be higher, families will have no health insurance premiums, co-pays or deductibles.

Matthew Hine, M.D. Oak Ridge, Tenn.